Quick answer: UAE dual citizenship exists, but only for a small group. Since January 2021, foreigners nominated for Emirati nationality as investors, doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, intellectuals or artists (with their spouses and children) may keep their original nationality. Anyone else who naturalises under the 1972 nationality law still has to give up their old passport. And nobody can apply for UAE citizenship or buy it. It comes only through nomination and a federal decree.
Most people asking about UAE dual citizenship want to know one thing. If the UAE ever offers them a passport, do they have to hand back the one they already hold? That depends on two sets of rules: UAE law, which changed in 2021 for nominated talent, and the law of your home country, which may take your first nationality away the moment you accept a second one. We cover both sides here, using only the UAE Government Portal, the official text of the nationality law and the government pages listed at the end.
Six rules at a glance
- Nomination only. A federal entity puts a candidate forward, and the case is taken up by the Rulers’ and Crown Princes’ Courts, the Executive Councils or the Cabinet. Nobody nominates themselves.
- No investment route. There is no citizenship-by-investment programme, no fee and no application form. Investors can be nominated, but owning property is a condition, not a price.
- The 2021 exception. Nominated investors, professionals and talents, and their spouses and children, may retain their original nationality.
- The default rule still applies. Under Article 11 of Federal Law No. 17 of 1972, no one may be naturalised without renouncing the nationality of origin.
- Duties after the grant. New citizens swear an oath of allegiance, commit to UAE law and must inform the government if they acquire or lose any other citizenship. Citizenship can be withdrawn if the conditions are breached.
- Your home country decides the rest. The UK, the US, Canada, France and Germany let you keep their citizenship. India and China don’t.
In this guide: Does the UAE allow dual citizenship? · What changed in 2021 · Who decides · Which routes let you keep your passport · Your home country’s rules · Emiratis by birth · How a nomination works · The Golden visa alternative · Common mistakes · FAQs
Does the UAE allow dual citizenship?
Yes, but only just. The UAE Government Portal says that in January 2021 the government approved changes to the Executive Regulation of the Citizenship and Passports Law. Those amendments let certain groups of foreigners, together with their spouses and children, acquire Emirati nationality, and they allow the naturalised citizen “to retain his original nationality” (u.ae, Emirati nationality).
For a foreigner, that is the only official route to UAE dual citizenship. The underlying law, Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 concerning Nationality and Passports, still keeps its general rule. Article 11 still says that no one may be naturalised without renouncing the nationality of origin, and Article 12 bis lists renouncing “his/her nationality of origin or any other nationality” among the conditions for a grant (ICP, consolidated text of Federal Law No. 17 of 1972). So UAE dual citizenship is an exception for nominees, not a general right.
What changed for UAE dual citizenship in 2021?
On 30 January 2021 the UAE Cabinet, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, approved changes to the Executive Regulation of the Federal Law concerning Nationality and Passports, following directives from the then President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Dubai Media Office, 30 January 2021; WAM, 30 January 2021). It opened Emirati nationality and the UAE passport to named categories of people “under certain conditions”.
The conditions for UAE dual citizenship on the government portal are brief, and each category has its own.
| Category | Official condition (u.ae) |
|---|---|
| Investors | Owns property in the UAE. |
| Doctors and specialists | Specialised in a scientific discipline in high demand in the UAE, with acknowledged scientific contributions, at least 10 years of practical experience and membership of a reputable organisation in the field. |
| Scientists | Works as an active researcher, whether at a university, a research body or a private company, has at least 10 years of practical experience in that field and a record of contributions to it, and is recommended in writing by a recognised UAE scientific institution. |
| Inventors | Holds at least one patent, approved either by the UAE Ministry of Economy or by another reputable international body, and a letter of recommendation from that Ministry. |
| Intellectuals and creative talents | Pioneers in art and culture who have won at least one international award, with a recommendation letter from the relevant government entities. |
| Families | The spouse and children of a nominee are covered by the same amendment. |
The Dubai Media Office release adds detail on scientists: their contributions may include a prestigious scientific award or substantial research funding during the past ten years. The same release says the citizenship carries benefits such as the right to set up or own commercial entities and property.
What the list leaves out matters too. It gives no price, no minimum investment, no residence period and no application fee, so treat any figure you see quoted with care. We found no later official change to these nomination rules when we checked on 5 November 2026, so the January 2021 framework is still the latest the government has published.
Who decides, and can you apply yourself?
You can’t apply. The government portal says you can acquire UAE citizenship “only through the Rulers’ and Crown Princes’ Courts, Offices of the Executive Councils and the Cabinet based on the nominations of federal entities”. The decision itself is a federal one: under Article 20 of the nationality law, granting, withdrawing and restoring nationality is done by federal decree and “may not be contested”. Article 9 also lets the President grant nationality by decree without regard to the usual residence periods and conditions, and allows it to be granted to anyone who has provided outstanding services to the State.
If a website offers to “process” your UAE passport for a fee, be wary. There is no public form, no fee schedule and no published processing time. An honest adviser can explain the categories, help keep your residence in order and plan around your home country’s rules, which we cover below.
Which routes let you keep your original passport?
The 2021 nomination is only one of the routes in the nationality law. They have different residence and nationality conditions, and only the nomination route expressly lets a foreigner keep their first passport.
| Route | Residence or time condition | Keep original nationality? |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 nomination (investors, professionals, talents and families) | None published; category conditions apply | Yes, per the 2021 amendment |
| Naturalisation of a non-Arab resident (Art. 8) | At least 30 years of continuous legal residence, 20 of them after the law took effect, plus Arabic | No: renunciation required (Arts. 11 and 12 bis) |
| Naturalisation of an Arab national (Art. 6) | At least 7 years of continuous lawful residence | No: renunciation required |
| Omani, Qatari or Bahraini origin (Art. 5) | At least 3 years of continuous lawful residence | No: renunciation required |
| Foreign wife of an Emirati (Art. 3) | 7 years from the application with one or more children, 10 years without | No: the general conditions of Art. 12 bis apply |
The rows on the 1972 law come from the consolidated English text published by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). Our main guide on how to get UAE citizenship covers these routes in more depth.
UAE dual citizenship also brings duties that last. Every nominee must take the oath of allegiance and loyalty, commit to UAE law and tell the relevant UAE authority “in case of acquiring or losing any other citizenship”. The portal adds that citizenship can be withdrawn if these conditions are breached.
Does your home country let you keep its citizenship?
UAE dual citizenship only works if both countries agree. This is the half of the question most guides skip, and it’s where people get caught out. The UAE may let you keep your first passport while your first country cancels it anyway. We checked each country below on its own government website on 5 November 2026.
| Home country | Can you keep it after taking a second nationality? | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes. Dual citizenship is allowed and you do not need to apply for it. | GOV.UK |
| United States | Yes. You do not have to choose, and may naturalise elsewhere without risking US citizenship. | USA.gov |
| Canada | Yes. Canada allows multiple citizenships. | travel.gc.ca |
| France | Yes. French law does not require a French citizen who takes another nationality to give up French nationality. | Service-Public.fr |
| Germany | Yes, since 27 June 2024. Germans may take any foreign nationality without giving up German nationality. Not retroactive. | Federal Foreign Office |
| India | No. Under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, voluntarily acquiring another citizenship ends Indian citizenship. Using an Indian passport afterwards is an offence under the Passports Act, 1967. | Embassy of India (gov.in) |
| China | No. China does not recognise dual nationality, and a national settled abroad who takes a foreign nationality of their own free will loses Chinese nationality automatically (Arts. 3 and 9). | National People’s Congress |
| Pakistan | Check first. Pakistan has dual nationality arrangements with 22 listed countries, and the UAE is not one of them. Ask the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports how this affects you before accepting a nomination. | DGI&P Pakistan |
Two things follow. An Indian or Chinese national who accepted a UAE nomination would lose their original citizenship under their own country’s law, whatever the UAE allows. And rules change. Germany only moved to full dual nationality in June 2024. Before relying on any table, this one included, check your country’s current position with its embassy in Abu Dhabi or consulate in Dubai.
Can Emiratis by birth hold a second passport?
The 2021 amendment concerns nominated foreigners. It doesn’t open UAE dual citizenship, or dual nationality of any kind, to Emiratis by birth. Under Article 15(c) of the nationality law, a national is deprived of UAE nationality if they “willingly” become a naturalised national of a foreign state. Article 17 lets a national by operation of law who has taken a foreign nationality recover the original one by renouncing the foreign one.
Anyone who gains UAE nationality by naturalisation should read Article 16. It allows withdrawal if the person has “exercised citizenship rights at any other country”, has repeatedly been convicted of offences involving moral turpitude or dishonesty, used forged or false information, or lived outside the UAE for more than two continuous years without an excuse. A withdrawal may extend to the wife and minor children. The 2021 regulation and Article 16 sit side by side, so a nominee who keeps a second passport should get legal advice on how both apply to them.
How does a nomination work in practice?
Nomination is the only door to UAE dual citizenship, and it is a closed process, so the official sources describe stages rather than a form. Put together from the government portal and the 2021 release, it looks like this.
- Build a record that fits a category. An investor needs property in the UAE. Doctors, specialists and scientists need at least 10 years of practical experience. Inventors need an approved patent; creative talents need an international award.
- Secure the recommendation letters. Scientists need one from a recognised UAE scientific institution, inventors from the Ministry of Economy, creative talents from the relevant government entities.
- Be nominated by a federal entity. A federal entity makes the nomination, and it is handled by the Rulers’ and Crown Princes’ Courts, the Offices of the Executive Councils or the Cabinet. You don’t submit it yourself.
- Take the oath and the commitments. Before acquiring citizenship, the nominee swears the oath of allegiance and loyalty and commits to abide by UAE law.
- Receive the federal decree and complete the documents. Under the nationality law, the grant takes effect from the date the nationality documents are completed.
- Report later changes. If you later acquire or lose any other citizenship, you must inform the UAE government entity.
No timeline is published for any of these stages, and no official source says how many people are nominated each year. If someone quotes you either, ask where it comes from.
What do most expats rely on instead?
For almost everyone living in the UAE, the realistic long-term status is residence, not citizenship, and the main long-term option is the Golden visa. The UAE Government Portal describes the Golden visa as a renewable long-term residence visa issued for either 5 or 10 years. It needs no sponsor, lets holders stay outside the UAE for longer than the usual six months without losing the visa, and allows them to sponsor family members (u.ae, Golden visa).
For investors, the portal lists a minimum capital of AED 2 million, with 10 years for public investments and 5 years for real estate investments. A Golden visa is a residence permit. It doesn’t touch your nationality, so the UAE dual citizenship question never arises. Our guide to the UAE Golden visa explains the categories, and our UAE residency page summarises the options we cover.
Some UAE residents who want a second nationality look instead at countries where you can apply. France is one. French law allows dual nationality, and a non-EU investor can first obtain residence through a qualifying direct economic investment of at least €300,000 in a French operating company. After generally five years of habitual residence, they may become eligible to apply for naturalisation, which remains a discretionary decision. For that route we work with France IDEA, our French residency specialist.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most problems with UAE dual citizenship come from one of these five assumptions.
- Paying for a “UAE passport programme”. No such programme exists. Citizenship comes only through nomination and a federal decree.
- Assuming property equals citizenship. Owning property is the condition for an investor to be considered. It doesn’t trigger a nomination.
- Ignoring your home country’s law. The UAE side may let you keep your passport while India or China, for example, cancels it automatically.
- Forgetting the reporting duty. A nominee who later gains or loses another citizenship must inform the UAE authorities.
- Confusing the Golden visa with citizenship. The Golden visa is residence. It does not give you a UAE passport or put you in line for one.
UAE dual citizenship FAQs
Does the UAE allow dual citizenship for expats?
Only for foreigners nominated under the January 2021 amendment, meaning investors, doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, intellectuals and creative talents, with their spouses and children. They may keep their original nationality. Other naturalised citizens must renounce it under Article 11 of the 1972 law.
Can I buy UAE citizenship or apply for it?
No. There is no citizenship-by-investment programme and no application form. Nationality is acquired only through nomination by federal entities and the Courts, Executive Councils or Cabinet, and it is granted by federal decree.
Can an Indian national keep their passport after becoming an Emirati?
Not under Indian law. Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 ends Indian citizenship when another citizenship is acquired voluntarily, and India’s Citizenship Act does not provide for dual citizenship.
Are spouses and children included in a nomination?
Yes. The 2021 amendment covers the families (spouse and children) of nominated investors, professionals and talents.
Can an Emirati by birth get a second passport?
Under Article 15(c) of the nationality law, a national who willingly becomes a naturalised citizen of a foreign state is deprived of UAE nationality. The 2021 exception applies to nominated foreigners, not to Emiratis by birth.
Does the UAE Golden visa lead to citizenship?
No. It’s a renewable residence visa of 5 or 10 years. Citizenship is a separate decision, and it is made only by nomination.
How The Open World can help
We can’t nominate anyone for UAE citizenship or UAE dual citizenship, and nobody outside the federal process can. We can review your residence options, explain how your home country treats a second nationality and show you which second-passport routes do accept applications. If that would help, contact our Dubai team at Park Lane Tower, 15th floor, Office 1517, Business Bay, on +971 58 568 1810 or at charlie@the-open-world.com. You can also check your current status with our guide on how to check your UAE visa status.
Official sources
- UAE Government Portal: Emirati nationality
- ICP: Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 concerning Nationality and Passports, with amendments
- Government of Dubai Media Office, 30 January 2021
- WAM, 30 January 2021
- UAE Government Portal: Golden visa
- Home-country rules: GOV.UK, USA.gov, Government of Canada, Service-Public.fr, German Federal Foreign Office, Embassy of India, National People’s Congress of China, DGI&P Pakistan
Last updated: 5 November 2026. All official sources checked on 5 November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice; nationality decisions rest with the competent authorities of each country.
